VILLA’S new chief medical officer Dr Ian McGuinness will help keep the players in tip-top condition, according to Alex McLeish.

Aston Villa's new chief medical officer Dr Ian McGuinness will help keep the players in tip-top condition, according to Alex McLeish.

McGuinness originally worked under McLeish at Rangers and the pair were reunited at Blues at the start of last year. He replaces Gerard Houllier’s doctor Mark Waller, who leaves after eight months at the club.

Waller previously worked with Houllier at Liverpool and tended to the Frenchman after his health scares at Anfield and at Villa.

McGuinness was at his Bodymoor Heath desk for the first time yesterday.

He will work closely with new fitness coach Adrian Lamb. “Ian McGuinness is actually from Argyle on the West Coast,” said McLeish. “So he’s a Highlands kind of person.

“He’s a very clever guy, an expert in sports science as well as a doctor. There’ll be a close relationship between him and the medical department and the fitness coaches.

“I’ve known Ian about 10-12 years, we worked together at Rangers. He was already there as a reserve doctor and I promoted him when I got there.”

McGuinness joined Blues at the start of 2010 as the club’s chief medical officer. He previously worked in the same role at Rangers for 11 years plus four other Scottish clubs, as well as Newcastle United.